Wine Glasses And High Heels
by MystearicaBlaze
Summary: Perfectionists? Check. In search of a spouse? Check. Faking it just right? Check. Public Display of Affection? Check. Fall in love with your apparent Fiancee/Fiance? To be cut off the list and taken down.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

 _"I didn't want to fall in love , not at all. But at some point you smiled and holy shit I blew it"_

* * *

"Here are your drinks , Sir"

Placing the fifth tray down on the table , Ayuzawa Misaki clutched her apron tightly and bowed a little silently sending looks of disapproval at the men who didn't stop giving her lustful looks.

To say that these men were drunk was beyond an understatement. Out of the crowd of men present on table number 5 , Misaki was assured that everyone had had at least three glasses of alcohol and none of them could really hold their alcohol.

And she knew that once they lost control the waitresses around along with her were going to have a hard time.

"Time for you to switch with us girls" She exclaimed , walking inside and grabbing the counter and leaning over it , picking up a shot of vodka and draining it.

"Your wish is our command , Milady" Her co-worker , the bartender namely Luca (People liked calling him Italian Sauce) teased for he was one of the two people who knew her secret and who she really was.

"Shush Luca" Shooting him a glare as he laughed taking out three different wine bottles and placing them on the counter.

"You have come to fetch?" She asked , a little surprised "I thought you always keep enough for the day cause your intuition never lets you down?"

"Alas it doesn't , Milady. But today I have been ordered to serve the bottles and not wine glasses and as you know I never finish one bottle at once so that really can't be presented to our customers"

"I see. Krug Clos d'Ambonnay , Domaine Leroy Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru aandd Boerl & Kroff Brut" She said recognizing the wine bottles.

"Absolutely right , Milady. All these must be common for you , huh?" He asked , grabbing them and walking off.

"I am not into drinking but I guess it works time to time"

"We should drink together someday!" He called "I'll show you why people come to 'The Wine'"

"Obviously it's for my world class wine whipping skills!" They chorused , laughing as he walked out and she , further into the kitchen.

'The Wine' was one of the most expensive restaurants in Tokyo. Situated at the heart of the city , the restaurant was always buzzing. People seldom used the restaurant on the first floor for the charm of the restaurant was it's bar on the ground floor. From business meetings to couple dinners all sorts of people showed up and getting a reservation was very hard.

But who would believe a person if they said that they found the CEO of the Tokyo Law Firm serving them food and drinks as a waitress. In fact , she had been working here for two weeks straight.

"Table number 5!" Someone called out and Misaki sighed. She eyed the tray of food and silently made sure no waitress went to pick it up.

"Misaki?" She swirled around at the sound of her name and immediately lowered her face for the lighting inside the kitchen was more bright than the dimmed ones outside.

"Yes?"

"Your shift finishes in half an hour and then you can just help Luca clean the island bar and you are done for the day" The manager stated walking past her , ticking things off his list.

"Y-Yes. Thank you" Misaki bowed a little and wondered what would have happened if he had actually paid attention to her face. She hadn't even told people her full name 'cause the mere mention of 'Misaki Ayuzawa' could have heads turning.

Slowly turning to face the madness around the kitchen , Misaki sighed already missing working at her place. She hadn't been to work for two weeks now with the vice CEO managing her work with her barking orders on the phone.

She walked out and straight to the island bar which took an entire wall of the huge room. Walking next to Luca , she turned glasses upside down picking out orders and pouring the ordered wine and ice cubes into the glass and passing them onto Luca to do his magic.

Luca wasn't all talk and no work. He stood for what he was always proud about. He had been working in 'The Wine' ever since it first opened 7 years prior to the present and it was safe to say that his bartender skills were often the reason people bothered to stop by. Other than that , either it was his rugged appearance where he defied the usual uniform by keeping an open collar with an entire arm full of tattoos along with three piercings only on the left ear accompanied with a lopsided boyish grin or the fact that he was the famous Italian Hotelier Alessandro Marcos' youngest son.

"Why are you so shy? All I asked for-"

"-S-Sir ...p-please l-let go"

Averting gaze from her glasses , Misaki looked up and noticed that one of the drunkards from table number 5 had Sakura by her wrist , his hold tighter than what Sakura could have gotten rid of.

Moving out from behind the bar , Misaki walked towards the table with an intention to kick the drunkard where his family jewels were must the situation worsen.

"S-Sir…" Sakura was trying her hardest to pull herself out of his iron grip which only made Misaki's footsteps pick up pace as she briskly walked towards her friend.

"C'mon babe. One night can't hurt you and I promise to make it fun even for you"

"S-Sir..please let me go. A-All this is m-making me uncomfortable.."

"Why would I let you go?" He slurred , clutching Sakura's hand tighter if that was even possible making her yelp "I just got hold of you"

Suddenly and shockingly Sakura was pulled away from the man and behind Misaki who stood tall and intimidating in front of the drunkard who seemed unfazed about what had happened and only leaned back in his chair.

"Please refrain from touching our staff so carelessly like this" Glaring him down , Misaki spoke in a clipped tone.

"Oops?" The man spoke , downing another drink.

"Sakura" Misaki whispered , moving her head towards her traumatized friend who was shaking uncontrollably "What did I say about leaving this table to the guys?"

"I-I a-am s-sorry"

"Let's go" Misaki proceeded to grab Sakura's hand and walk away when someone grabbed her hand

"If you won't let me have her" His voice dropped down to a whisper "Let me have _you_ instead"

* * *

"I am tired of it"

"Isn't it like the 4th time this week?"

"Yeah I flew out four times this week just to skip it"

"Here are your bottles , Sir"

Emerald orbs averted their gaze from the rim of the glass they were glaring upon to face the bartender who had the three wine bottles in his hand which they had ordered.

"When did you order all this?" The pop idol asked , lowering his muffler and nodding towards the bartender who was already walking away.

"Before you guys showed up. I didn't know you guys were coming"

"Liar" Accused the CEO of the Igarashi Incorporations popping a bottle open "Great. I was in a mood for Boerl & Kroff Brut anyway"

"I am gonna watch the time till Chiyo shows up to pick her drunk husband up" The pop idol smirked at his friend , flipping a glass over.

"Pshh don't jinx it" Tora replied in annoyance "I never ask her to come. She still knows when I am going out to drink anyway"

"Is getting married that bad?" Questioned the CEO of Walker Corporations who was had gone back to running his fingertip along the rim of his glass , head resting on the palm of his other hand with the elbow placed on the table.

"Not if your wife is like Chiyo" Replied Kuuga , taking a sip of his drink and tossing his beanie on the table "How many glasses have you had already to be asking such questions?"

"Six? Seven?"

"Woah woah then" Taking Takumi's glass away from his friend , Kuuga placed it near him so that he could keep an eye on how much his friend drank.

"Gerard must be pestering you too much huh? You never drink so much"

"You know what I have been hearing for the past 6 months. Get married. Meet his daughter. The CEO of this company is single. Worldwide beauty. Top class model. Honestly if I wanted to get married , I would find someone myself"

"Even if you don't want to get married , Gerard will make sure you do"

"That's the entire problem"

"You wanna deceive him?" Tora questioned , raising an eyebrow.

"How?"

"For instance , this is just an example-"

"Do you really want to say no , babygirl? I could give all the money and luxury you would ever want. Just agree to it already"

The conversation on table number 8 momentarily stopped as the three men turned to face the commotion which had made the entire restaurant go silent.

"Perverted old aged hags like them are everywhere" Kuuga sighed , returning to his glass.

"Intervening is troublesome" Tora stated , pouring himself another glass. After taking a sip , he clicked his fingers to grab his friends' undivided attention "Like I was saying , to deceive Gerard won't be an easy job. We need planning"

"Uh huh" Takumi agreed half heartedly , still watching the scene taking place.

"For that , you'll need two things" Tora continued holding two fingers up "A girl who can act well. A girl who has an equal social standing"

"I can understand the social standing part. Why the acting?" Kuuga questioned moving his gaze away from Tora to the waitress getting harassed.

"We can't really expect Takumi to _really_ marry a girl" Tora smirked "Right?" He asked Takumi who was still watching the open harassment scene taking place in the restaurant "God Takumi. Are you even listening?"

"We should help them"

"Really Takumi? This ain't the first time this has happened and we know what the outcome will be. The girl will eventually give in"

Takumi's gaze averted and suddenly he wasn't watching the scene anymore. His eyes followed the raven haired waitress who walked towards that table and yanked her fellow waitress away from the perverted old man.

"Please refrain from touching our staff so carelessly like this" She coldly requested almost daring the guy to oppose her orders.

Takumi noted how authoritative she sounded for a girl who was a waitress at such an expensive restaurant. The lighting was dim and he was a little tipsy but he was sure he had seen the girl somewhere.

"Oops?" The pervert replied in a sly manner as the raven haired muttered something to her terrified friend.

"Let's go-" The girl grabbed her friend's hand and turned around.

"-Takumi? Are you even listening?"

"If you won't let me have her" The pervert grabbed the amber eyed waitress' hand and whispered which was quite clear considering the entire restaurant was silent "Let me have _you_ instead"

The entire restaurant watched in eerie silence as the waitress let go of her friend's hand and turned to the pervert "You want to have who?"

" _You_ "

Pulling her hand away in a heartbeat , Misaki seethed "I thought you heard me the first time. But just incase I will repeat it again , don't touch the staff so recklessly"

Slowly and almost falling over twice at the attempt , the pervert stood up and grabbed Misaki by the back of her collar pulling her back to him and immediately wrapping an arm around her.

Misaki's nose scrunched up in disgust and so did most of her senses as she came in contact with the sweaty man who reeked of nothing but alcohol. The arm around her waist was tighter than she had assumed but not entirely overpowering her. She took her leg back to kick him where she knew it would hurt the most when something made her freeze in her tracks.

"Takumi?" Tora asked surprised as his friend got up "Where are you going?"

The man was groping Misaki's in places she wouldn't ever allow a man to look at let alone touch. He was getting an entire feel of her lower curves enjoying every small bit of harassing her. Oh how Misaki was going to make sure she tortured him properly enough to give him the surprise of his life.

"Hey , Mister?"

Suddenly the man was pulled away from Misaki as he was forced to turn around to face the intruder who had interrupted his little scene and was currently holding the man by his wrist.

In the blink of an eye. The Emerald eyed stranger had pulled the pervert toward him.

And punched him square in the face.

* * *

 _ **Hello my louves! We have been apart for a long time mainly cuz of my hiatus {And mini writer's block which made me skip a lot of things. I am sorry guys} I'll be updating soon**_

 _ **On a brighter note I had this idea when I was going through the writer's block and so I had started typing it down and I realized that I have a story ready xD**_

 _ **Do tell me your views on it!**_

 _ **XOXOXO**_

 _ **~Tear**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

" _I wanted it to be you , God damn I really did"_

* * *

The entire restaurant screeched in an unbearable silence as every person held their breath and watched the perverted man on the floor and the one who was behind it.

To say that Misaki was positively horrified was an understatement. One part of her was thankful for the interference while the other was furious over the attention being drawn toward her.

The next few minutes were a blur for her as the male staff of the restaurant came to the aid of the man who had been injured more emotionally than physically by his public display of embarrassment. She , along with her ' _savior'_ , Sakura and two of the guy's friends (who also tagged along) were rushed to the top floor which was dimly lit and currently unoccupied as the party hall hadn't been booked for today. The manager ushered the group in and made them sit down , glaring at all of them.

His fury was first directed at the emerald eyed gentleman as he tried to glare him down only to feel intimidated by the bored look given to him "If _this_ waitress is your girl and you can't handle her getting assaulted then don't even come into the restaurant!" He bellowed "You have lost us such an important customer! Who will pay for the loss , huh? You , young rebellious scoundrels?!"

Four out of five people turned their full attention to him , almost bucking him down to his knees because of their matching glares.

"H-Huh?" He still managed to stutter

"As a matter of fact" Misaki began in a composed and collected voice "It is an offence to harass a waitress in any restaurant which is punishable by law. Furthermore" She rose her gaze up to meet the Manager's , cold shards being shot by those amber orbs as she continued "Managers are likely to be held responsible for not stepping in and assuring the safety of their staff"

The three blonde men turned to regard the woman seated on the couch next to theirs and two out of three pairs of eyes lit up with recognition at the very familiar face of the very influential CEO of the Tokyo Law Firm.

"You lost a single customer and currently are in danger of losing the entire restaurant" CEO of Igarashi Incorporations smoothly added in as he lazily swung his phone out "Yes Chiyo - san? I am upstairs.." He lowered his phone momentarily , looking around before fixating his gaze on the positively terrified Manager "Is this the top most floor?" When the Manager failed to answer , he presumed it was and told his wife exactly that.

The Manager finally managed to snap out of his reverie and glowered at the five people in front of him "Who are you kids to threaten me like this? I'll have you kicked out of here in no time" He glared , his brows coming together in a frown as his bald head shone with sweat.

Nobody bothered explaining who they were as they all silently regarded each other.

First came Takumi and Tora who were genuinely surprised at finding the prim and proper CEO of the Tokyo Law Firm , Misaki Ayuzawa at a restaurant like 'The Wine'. To top it all off she was working as a _waitress._ They were assured that the extremely influential , powerful , headstrong and wealthy CEO of the Tokyo Law Firm had _no_ reason to work in a restaurant like this because her Firm was one of the top 3 in the World and was flourishing beyond the stopping line.

Next came Misaki who couldn't stop cursing her luck. One , she was positive her identity was revealed. Two , Takumi Walker of Walker Corporations had discovered it. She knew she could pull some strings and have the matter shut down this instant but that would solidify the fact that her days at 'The Wine' had been short lived and definitely ended.

Kuuga on the other hand was sure he had seen both girls somewhere and he knew he was absolutely clueless about it. His gaze narrowed at the nervous salmon haired girl who he was positive he wasn't laying eyes on for the first time. But he knew he'd know soon. Very very soon.

The Manager stood up abruptly , obviously very flustered at this downright defiance he was facing "I don't care who you are! Tomorrow when you get sued for this by Mr. Lee Min , you'll learn your lesson you punks!" He screeched "Rebellious scoundrels , barging in places like-"

"- You have" A smooth voice interrupted coolly "The CEO of Igarashi Incorporations , CEO of Walker Corporations , Leader of the famous Indie Pop Band - UxMishi , CEO of the Tokyo Law Firm sitting in front of you" Gracing them with her presence was Igarashi Chiyo who came into view as she stepped further into the room "Not to mention , founder and owner of world famous 'A Happily Ever After' , the wedding planner most in demand"

The gaping Manager took in their faces as recognition slowly hit him. CEO of Igarashi Incorporations , Igarashi Tora , was typing away on his phone , CEO of Walker Corporations , Takumi Walker , was running a hand through his hair and dozing off slightly , the Leader of UxMishi , Sakurai Kuuga , was walking toward the island bar at the far corner , CEO of Tokyo Law Firm , Ayuzawa Misaki , was busy making a call and the only person who had the decency to look a little flustered was the wedding planner most in demand around the globe , Hanazono Sakura.

"Chiyo - san" Tora stood up and walked over to her as Misaki slowly regarded them "I have told you countless times that you don't need to take the pain of coming to pick me up everytime I go out to drink" The statement would have been sweet if it hadn't been spoken in an ice cold tone matched with a look that would have made anyone buck down to their knees.

Misaki clearly remembered the grand wedding that had taken place in Venice , where people of importance of every sort (including herself) had attended it. The entire World knew how it was an arranged marriage and how the vows didn't matter to the groom for he was still known for his notorious ways just as much before he got married. Not to mention the formal tone they used with each other with the inclusion of honorifics only made the matter of how the situation between them was all the more clear.

"I did not want you driving back home in that state so I sent the driver only for you to send him back" The navy blue haired girl replied in a quiet voice.

Averting her gaze from them , amber eyes fell on the blonde gentleman dozing off on the couch , clearly unfazed by all that had happened. She couldn't believe her immense luck at how she was discovered by the most successful billionaire in all of Europe and Japan who also happened to be the bachelor most in demand. Giving his asleep figure a judgemental gaze , Misaki snorted internally at how such a guy could be popular with the ladies.

"I-I'll .." The Manager started quietly , obviously still very shook by the massive reveal of identities "..b-be ba-back. W-We aren't d-done h-h-here" With that finally said , he almost fled from the room in fright.

Misaki finally turned to her friend who had been quiet all the while and had her head down with her hands entwined on her lap. The dimmed lighting didn't really lighten up her features but Misaki knew just how terrified her best friend had been. Taking one of Sakura's hand in hers , Misaki gave it a slight reassuring squeeze as Sakura looked up to give her a grateful smile.

"I am so sorry.." She started quietly.

"What for?"

"The whole purpose you worked here was to stay hidden from your parents but now your identity has been revealed …"

Misaki slowly chuckled "I think you are failing to recognize that _our_ identity has been revealed. Sadly , I am taking you down with me" At this Sakura smiled at her and slowly shook her head as Misaki continued "I am sorry you had to go through all this Sakura..especially after you had volunteered to be with me all the way till I found a way out of my problem which led you to work here as well"

"I am not going anywhere , Misa" She finally said "I'll still be with you all the way till the end. And if things seem inevitable I'll be more than willing to give your parents a piece of _my_ mind"

"You are more than welcome to do so" Misaki scoffed "But I can't guarantee that they'll listen to you"

"Oh don't you-" Sakura stopped mid sentence as Chiyo and Tora sat down in front of them with Chiyo nudging Takumi awake.

"So.." The CEO of Igarashi Corporations started "What is the CEO of _the_ Tokyo Law Firm doing here?"

Amber eyes snapped up to meet golden ones and the cold looks passed between them spoke words greater than one could comprehend "I do not think I am obliged to tell you that"

Laughing , he shook his head "Of course you wouldn't be.." He started "But the most surprising fact _right now_ is that you are here but _not_ as a customer"

Folding one leg over the other , the ravenette leaned back on the couch "It's called work experience"

"Why would an accomplished Attorney like you want work experience as a waitress?" The blonde hair pop idol asked , walking back to where the others were seated , a glass of wine in his hand.

"Curiosity"

Silence loomed over everyone as all of them except Sakura , who was fidgeting in her seat , tried to make sense of what Ayuzawa Misaki was speaking. Not only was she lying but she was also being very open about it.

"Right" Tora laughed "We'd have believed that only if your Firm was getting nowhere and was going bankrupt. But the situation is neither of those two"

"Like I had _said_ " Misaki bit out , politely smiling as she dismissed the matter "I am not obliged to give you details"

There was a knock on the open door of the party hall as Luca cat walked in "Quite a scene huh , Milady?" He asked as he strolled right past the group he didn't bother greeting and plopped down next to Sakura "Was Sakura chan hurt?" He questioned again , leaning close to inspect her face.

"What's happening downstairs?" Misaki asked in turn after Sakura reassured Luca that she was okay.

"Drama. Fights. Oh and negotiations" Luca lazily explained "Which reminds me , you have been summoned down"

"Don't tell me that's what you have been sent for"

"Maybe?" Luca laughed as Misaki leaned forward and punched his arm. Getting up she stalked away from Luca only for him to chuckle and follow her.

Four pair of eyes who had been carefully watching everything then turned to the pink haired beauty who immediately lowered her gaze after feeling extremely intimidated.

"So.." Kuuga started after a while "Why are you working here , Miss Hanazono?"

Sakura kept her gaze fixated on her wrist , resting on her lap which was gaining color after being a dry red rash from when she had been harassed. She knew all of them albeit not personally. And she knew she couldn't give Misaki away.

"I am here with Misaki" She answered cautiously , raising her eyes to the blonde pop idol's.

"Why is Miss Ayuzawa here?"

"I thought she told you , work experience in a more different environment than what she is used to"

"In that case" Takumi finally spoke up , sitting up from his half leaning posture as he placed his elbows on his knees and entwined his fingers "Why doesn't the Manager know who she is or who _you_ are?"

Sakura gulped and considered her answer for a minute before answering "That way people wouldn't treat us like how a normal waitress should be"

Takumi knew something was on and that they wouldn't disclose it. Shrugging he leaned back as he pictured the fiery amber eyed waitress.

 _She might not tell him. That won't stop him from figuring it out._

* * *

The employees stood up to greet their CEO who was making an appearance after nearly two weeks. As she strut past the lobby , new comers gaped as the old employee beamed in pride at their President , giving orders as she signed one approval file after another nodding at people who bowed.

Getting into the elevator she listened attentively as her Vice President updated her on all that had happened in her absence most of which she was already aware of. Reaching the 17th floor which was solely dedicated to her , Misaki walked down the familiar hallway and smiled at her Secretary who stood up to greet her as she walked past and into her office.

For an entire two hours , Misaki caught up on her work which wasn't much as she had been working from home. Typing away furiously and making one call after the other was hectic but she loved it. And she had missed it dearly.

Half an hour later her Secretary , Miyoko , walked in and placed a cup of coffee at her table and beamed down at her "Welcome back , Ma'am. Great to see you again"

Misaki looked up and grinned "It's great to be back and rolling" She noticed the cup and leaned back in her chair "Thank you. I really needed that"

Miyoko nodded and smiled but Misaki noticed the tense and uncertainty in her eyes "What's wrong?"

Miyoko snapped out of her reverie and smiled almost apologetically "O-Oh i-it's n-nothing"

Misaki wasn't convinced and after placing her cup down she placed her elbows on the shiny surface of her mahogany desk and entwined her fingers , placing her chin on it "What happened?" She asked softly.

Miyoko licked her lips nervously before asking in turn "Have you known that the phone has been ringing off hook throughout the entire building?"

Raising an eyebrow above amber eyes that narrowed , the ravenette questioned "Why?"

Gulping , Miyoko proceeded to ask before she revealed anything "Have you by any chance seen the news?"

"No?"

As if on cue , Misaki's phone rang flashing Sakura's name and Misaki looked at Miyoko as she picked her phone up "Please switch the Television on" She told her Secretary as she picked the call up.

"Misaki!" Sakura's voice burst through the other side as Miyoko obliged and walked toward the 52 inch Television to switch it on "Have you seen it?!"

"Seen what?"

"The news!"

"No? What is it abo-" Her voice died in her throat as she looked at the screen in absolute horror.

There was a picture of a half tipsy Takumi holding Misaki's arm who was clad in her waitress uniform while he punched the perverted old man on the floor at the restaurant. To top it all off , the video of it was playing next to the picture as Misaki staggered to her feet almost tripping twice.

Below the picture the headline read " _ **CEO OF THE TOKYO LAW FIRM FOUND WORKING AS A WAITRESS AT A RESTAURANT CALLED 'THE WINE'. IS HER FIRM SO DEEP INTO UNKNOWN DEBTS?"**_

"You just watched it didn't you?" Sakura asked on the other line , her voice quiet.

"Change the channel" Misaki commanded , her voice icy cold as she regained her composure.

Miyoko obliged and a similar picture appeared on the screen as the caption read - " _ **CEO OF THE WALKER CORPORATIONS FOUND AIDING TO THE CEO OF THE TOKYO LAW FIRM WORKING AS A WAITRESS AT 'THE WINE' . IS THERE A ROMANCE FLARING BETWEEN THE TWO THAT THE OTHERS ARE UNAWARE OF?"**_

Channel after channel , everywhere there were pictures of the two demanding what the relationship between Takumi Walker and Misaki Ayuzawa was. While some assumed that The Tokyo Law Firm was drowning in debts , the other suspected that there was some sort of romance between the two. A third party wanted to know what could possibly be the reason for Misaki Ayuzawa to work as waitress in the first place if the case was neither and if that _was_ the case what was Takumi Walker doing there?

Would any of the paparazzi believe her if she said it was a coincidence?

Probably not.

Sighing , she sat back down in her chair and placed her head in her hands pulling at her hair. She wished she could rewind to yesterday and stop Sakura from picking the plate up in the first place.

Sakura , who was still on the line , started to speak jerking Misaki out of her reverie as she lifted the phone again to resume the call she had forgotten about.

"I am coming over in half an hour. Don't move an inch from where you are"

"Right" Misaki said with cold finality as she contemplated the situation.

Option 1 was that she denied it all and closed the case saying it wasn't her but a lookalike. The picture only covered half her face so she could do that and push all the explaining to Takumi Walker. But this idea solely depended on the fact that Takumi Walker kept his mouth shut which she had a feeling he won't. That led her to her second option. Discuss the further actions with Takumi Walker.

Which she soon decided wasn't an option either. She hadn't asked him to save her.

Half an hour later , Misaki was leaning on her table , eyes closed deep in thought as all her Board of Directors slowly regarded her. They had arrived soon after Misaki had discovered the news and had been waiting on her to decide what to do and choose one of the many options they had laid out in front of her all of which seemed unreasonable to her.

"Miss Ayuzawa-"

Sakura rose a hand to silence them as she studied her friend. Misaki was finally back to working where she belonged and no one knew better than herself that her best friend had missed it dearly. She couldn't get over the guilt of causing so much trouble for her friend who's brows were ceased in a scowl of their own and lips were curled in a frown as she figured a way out of this.

The telephone on Misaki's desk rang snapping her out of her concentration and she reached toward it with an irritated look , snapping it up "Cancel all my meetings till-"

" _I hate to interrupt you , Ma'am. This is the reception desk on the ground floor. Takumi Walker from Walker Corporations is here for you"_

Biting her lips and momentarily sighing , Misaki spoke again "Send him upstairs. I have been expecting him"

Soon enough , three of Walker Corporations Vice Presidents from different companies along with their secretaries and the Devil himself were standing in front of Misaki's army of her own as the two parties silently scrutinized each other.

Takumi Walker had momentarily been snapped into silence when he had first walked into Misaki's spacious office as she leaned on her desk , a hip arched over the edge as her amber eyes watched him walk in. He was painfully aware of how gorgeous she looked in her scarlet red blouse , black pants with a matching blazer topped with a pair of red pumps with her hair pulled in a messy chignon. It was such a sharp contrast to her white shirt and black skirt waitress uniform yesterday that the way he had been looking at her would have passed as staring if he hadn't checked himself in time.

He also noticed how her eyes turned a darker shade when he walked in and her mouth lifted in a polite unwelcoming smile , the coldness of it radiating over the walls of her huge room as he and his people finally walked in.

Misaki Ayuzawa on the other hand was trying to act as coolly and as nonchalantly as possible but as soon as she watched the door to her office open after a knock , she felt the breath being slowly knocked out of her. She couldn't believe that the Takumi Walker , who had just entered looking like a guy straight out of every girl's dream in his grey dapper suit , was the same man she had seen yesterday who was dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. With his hair gelled back and his worldwide famous smirk plastered on his face he was exuding an aura of confidence and narcissism , a sharp contrast to what Misaki was feeling. Feelings she would never show.

"Good afternoon , Miss Ayuzawa"

"Good Afternoon , Mister Walker"

"I see you are aware of the havoc caused"

"Absolutely. And I'd like to apologize for the trouble caused on my behalf"

"We can't help the situation much now anyway. We have matters to discuss"

"Ofcourse"

"I'd like to talk to you about all of it" He paused.

"Or so I have been told"

"In _private"_

The two words broke the icy impersonal barrier between the two as Misaki's eyes narrowed to slits and she turned toward her Boards of Directors who were waiting for her word and silently asking her to hear out what he had to say.

After a long moment of unbearable silence , Misaki spoke again "If you'll excuse us" She requested politely as everybody started filing out of her room. Everyone but Sakura.

"I am staying" She said , sitting down at one of the couches "You can ignore me"

"As much as I would love to" The blonde gentleman retorted "There are things that I need to discuss only with Miss Ayuzawa before she decides to share it with anyone else. And _that_ sadly includes you"

Sakura looked over to Misaki and saw her face clear of any telltale expression , perfectly masked "Very well" She said , standing up "One word from Misaki and I'll be back here , ready to have you thrown out" Just as Takumi rose an eyebrow and was about to retort she added "For the record. _CEO of Walker Corporations_ or not , I do not care. However , that is my best friend you are dealing with and so I'll be concerned wherever she's involved" With that said , the petite wedding planner slowly strut out the door , closing the door behind her.

The two CEO's remained quiet for a long time before Takumi finally turned to her , walking toward her desk and mimicking the posture Misaki first had when he walked in "Considering that such a scene was caused , I think it'll only be fair for you to share your reasons for working there" He picked the fancy paperweight off the desk.

"First" Misaki started in a cold tone "I'd like to know how the news reached the paparazzi"

"My men are still trying to figure out which news channel was the first to broadcast the news but apparently there was a journalist present in the restaurant during the scene caused. And _he_ recorded it"

"Just amazing" Misaki muttered , as she released a line of colorful words inside her head and sighed "And what now?"

"You didn't answer my previous question"

"I don't see how it matters"

"It most certainly would not have Miss Ayuzawa" He twirled the paperweight between his fingers "If it wouldn't have displayed my involvement as well"

"And you are implying?"

"That no one , no paparazzi , no journalist would believe us if we told them it happened to be a mere coincidence and that he had absolutely no clue it was the other"

"I had been thinking much the same thing" After a long pause in a quiet voice , she said "I have rejected 18 suitors in the past 4 weeks"

This piqued at Takumi's interest as his gaze lifted and met hers , urging her to go on.

"My parents aren't satisfied. They think that 24 is a good enough age for a girl who has accomplished so much in her life , much more than what they expected , to get married"

"So..?"

"I have been running. Nobody was aware of where I was and what I was doing and I had hoped to keep it like that for a while longer but I suppose that isn't possible now"

" _For that we'll need two things"_ Takumi heard Tora's words from the day before as he started twirling the paperweight again " _A girl who can act well. A girl who has an equal social standing"_

Misaki Ayuzawa was accomplished no doubt about that. And if she could work as a waitress without letting anyone on about her identity in the slightest ..that meant..

Takumi stood up abruptly startling Misaki out of her trance where she had been standing staring at her wall to floor shelves of books on law "I have a..proposal for you"

Misaki rose an eyebrow but nodded her head for him to go on.

"Our situations could put coincidence to shame. My half brother.." Takumi started "Gerald Walker , has been setting me up on blind dates as well. With accomplished models , high status ladies and what not. Perhaps.." He left the sentence hanging , waiting for Misaki's imagination to ponder over it.

One look at his meaningful glance and Misaki immediately knew what he was implying "Are you saying that.." She gestured to the space between them "You and I..?"

Takumi shrugged nonchalantly "Think about it. We can convince people that we were in a secret relationship for around an year or two. And had been on a break but the scene that caused let the cat out of the bag. You know..fabricate the story. I usually leave that to Tora. He's good at that stuff"

"I don't think it's a very smart thing to do"

"I agree on that but weigh its outcomes. We can act together as a couple for a while and then when we go separate ways around at the maximum six months from now the paparazzi will sympathize with us , your parents will think you are too broken to move on anytime soon and my brother will be convinced that I don't want a relationship. What say?"

Misaki contemplated the chances. There could be some changes made no doubt about it but putting all that aside the idea was in her favor. Takumi Walker had the status and social standing of an elite and her parents would definitely approve. Besides they were just faking it. They wouldn't have to get married ...or did they have to?

"So you mean to say..that we .." She left it hanging , raising an eyebrow at him , waiting for him to complete the decision on what their relationship would be.

"Yep" Takumi replied "Let's get engaged"

* * *

 _ **Hello my louves! Ya'll have been soo amazing and supporting my stories despite the fact that I don't update regualarly and I am so grateful. I really am and so I have decided to gear up and grt back to typing the long chapters I used to , starting with this~**_

 _ **Thank you so so much for all your love and patience , it means so much to me!**_

 _ **Here's an update for ya'll! Do tell me your views on it!**_

 _ **XOXOXOXO**_

 _ **~Tear**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

 _"Call me in the middle of the night and tell me you can't sleep without me"_

* * *

"Well?"

"It could do better editing than that"

A cold look passed between Hanazono Sakura and Igarashi Tora as one criticized the other for the umpteenth time.

"Guys , cut it out. This isn't about the both of you. It's about the _both_ of _them_ " Kuuga reprimanded as he turned to Misaki and Takumi who had given up on trying to give their opinion just as Sakura and Tora had long before given up on hearing them out.

"I think , we'll stick to the original-" The Igarashi head stated.

"-That was more horrible than this one" The salmon haired girl interrupted.

"I swear to God if this woman interrupts me one more time-"

"-Then what huh?"

Sighing exasperatedly , Misaki leaned back on the couch "Guys-"

"-I'll push you out of this room myself-"

"-You can try-"

"-Guys-"

"-Oh let me demonstrate-"

"-I'll break every organ in your body-"

"GUYS" Misaki was standing now and had her most deathly aura surrounding her as she caught everyone's attention making Takumi inch away from her "Hold on a goddamn minute and hear our opinions out. The more originality , the more chances of people actually buying our story"

"Misaki" Sakura folded one leg over the other "Your supposed _engagement_ is fake so I don't see the point of originality"

"That could be true Sakura. But if we stick to things sounding as berserk as the way the two of you are making it sound I doubt anyone will believe us"

"Moreover" Takumi added "The story should be more believable to our families than the press. So I think we really need to focus on details"

"Which means.." Kuuga sighed , opening a new bottle of champagne "We start over"

* * *

" _Sakura. Atleast listen to why we are doing it"_

" _Misaki. You have always been a smart girl. What changed?"_

" _Absolutely nothing. You do realize this is a fantastic opportunity to put my parents off my back for a while"_

" _That's true but.." Sakura's voice dropped to a whisper as she warily glanced at the blonde haired CEO inspecting the books of law in Misaki's floor to ceiling shelves "Takumi Walker?"_

" _We discussed it over and the plan didn't seem so bad. Infact our circumstances are pretty similar so the current situation we are in which we need to stop from turning into a scandal , this is probably our best bet"_

" _Maybe you're right..but ..I am still worried. What if someone finds out it's fake?"_

" _Then we'll just have to put our acting skills to test"_

* * *

" _Wait what? Hold on. Rewind" Tora stood up from his desk , waving his secretary off who scurried away , closing the door of Tora's office behind her. Tora waited a moment after she left and seeing as to how his friend wasn't saying anything either , he spoke again "You are getting engaged to Ayuzawa Misaki?"_

 _Waiting for confirmation , Tora held his breath for quite a while before the blonde on the other line replied "Yes"_

 _Starting to laugh the bewildered bestfriend sat on his desk , switching his television displaying pictures of Ayuzawa Misaki and Takumi everywhere , off and chuckled for a while longer before he could sense Takumi's intent to kill through the phone and sobered up "I thought you went over for negotiations. I didn't think they would be marital ones"_

" _The situation calls for it. I mean , think about it. We need to fool Gerard for a while. That's all. And we needed someone who can act and has the same social standing. Well guess what do we have here?"_

" _Hold up. So you mean you're not actually marrying her?"_

" _What? No"_

" _Ah. Makes more sense now. What's the actual deal?"_

" _She had been working at 'The Wine' because her parents had been pestering her about getting married and she had been hiding"_

" _Wow. I could have never guessed"_

" _Me neither. I do think they have a fair point. Who would want to marry a woman that scary?"_

" _True. So what are you planning to do?"_

" _Come over to The Tokyo Law Firm and we'll discuss what to do after. And please for the love of God , don't make a show of it and be discreet when you come"_

" _Yeah yeah. I'll see you in half an hour"_

" _Got it"_

 _Hanging up , Tora looked at his phone for a moment before laughing as he buzzed for his secretary who walked in , in all her busty glory smiling coyly at him._

 _Putting his phone down , his eyes glanced at Chiyo's picture on his desk which was present there solely for show purposes. He found himself looking at the candid picture of his wife laughing , that one of the hundred photographers present at his wedding had so perfectly captured. His wife looked flawless in her white gown and -_

 _His secretary turned the picture down on his desk so that he couldn't see it anymore as his attention reverted back to his secretary who was slowly unbuttoning her blouse._

 _That's right. Chiyo was his wife. But he didn't consider her as the same._

 _And so , he never felt guilty._

* * *

"Sounds much better" The navy blue haired girl nodded in appreciation.

"Not bad" Tora agreed , smiling sarcastically at Sakura.

"Right back at you" She smiled back , sweetly.

"Now the only thing probably remaining is that the both of you need to be seen together a little more publicly before the announcement is made. Go around to events together , for dates or whatever , move into the same house and then once the paparazzi is going crazy , you can make a formal announcement"

"Wait. Rewind" Misaki interrupted "Move in together , why?"

"Because you are supposed to be engaged?"

"And who says engaged couples can't stay in their respective houses?"

"Ofcourse they can but" Chiyo poured herself more wine "Your situation is slightly different. You need to make everyone believe that you had been together for quite some time before you had a spat and now you are reunited"

"Makes sense. You can move in whenever" Takumi shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Misaki scoffed "What makes you think I'll move into your house? If anything , you'll move into mine"

"Absolutely the hell not" Takumi retorted.

"Then we can stay separately-"

"-Works with me"

" _I will_ -" Tora seethingly interrupted "Buy a duplex for the both of you where you can stay together but in different rooms. No one who doesn't come in the house will have the slightest idea. You guys can treat it like you're roommates"

"Who are engaged" Kuuga reminded.

"And who need to indulge in public display of affection" Sakura added.

"Not so bad , huh?" Tora questioned.

The ravenette shared a look with the blonde gentleman before nodding "Sounds good"

"Alright then. Stay low for now and pack your bags up. I'll find a place for you and buy it under your name" He looked at Takumi who grinned back acting as if he didn't feel the shards aimed at the back of his head by Misaki "And then you guys can move in and play 'Husband and Wife' for six months"

"Fantastic" Misaki rolled her eyes.

"Oh right. Before I forget" Tora placed two identical looking sheets of paper in front of Takumi and Misaki "Contracts? These are terms and conditions you need to agree to. _Both_ of you. The contract expires in exactly 6 months a week from now. You can both take your time thinking and reading it over before we take it a level higher"

Emerald orbs turned to meet amber ones who were looking right at him. And for some reason , he knew Misaki wouldn't let him down "Pen?" He asked , holding his hand out.

"Takumi. You can think it over. No need to rush it-"

"I have thought it over and there's no looking back now" He took the pen Chiyo offered and signed his name at the end of the three paged contract "Here" Handing it back to Tora , he leaned back.

Everyone turned to look at Misaki who glanced at all of them before clutching the contract "I am going to read it thoroughly before I sign it"

"Fair enough. I think we are done here. The both of you need to work from home in this span of one week , that is if Ayuzawa decides to sign the contract , and stay undercover. However , if you change your mind" Tora looked at Misaki "Then we'll come up with another alternative"

Nodding as she got up , Misaki looked at all of them "Thank you so much for all your help"

"Always a pleasure. If you need help with anything , do not hesitate to call me" Chiyo smiled at her "We didn't exchange numbers , did we?"

"Oh right. We didn't" Digging her phone out of her pocket , Misaki walked around the table to Chiyo just as Takumi got up with Kuuga.

"Sorry for intruding your house like this" Kuuga said.

"Are you going all formal on me now? You know you are invited anytime"

"That was before you got married. Now we need to think of Chiyo too"

"Oh she won't mind" Tora waved him off "Come over for a guys' night anytime"

"Tora" Takumi's voice had an edge to it "Don't take her for granted just because she doesn't say anything. One day she'll be gone and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Treat her right for once , will you?" Patting his shoulder , Takumi grinned at him "Thanks for all your help. I am leaving it to you to break the news to Gerard must Ayuzawa agree to sign the contract"

"And if she does , you really will have to start calling her by her first name"

Ten minutes later , the Igarashi couple saw the two cars drive away from their mansion as they stood at a distance from each other.

For a moment , neither of them moved before Tora turned around walking back inside the mansion with Chiyo hurrying behind him.

"W-Will you be staying for dinner?" She asked , climbing the steps two at a time to catch up with his speed.

"No. And don't stay up late waiting for me" Tora replied in a clipped tone , walking inside his house.

He failed to notice his wife who had stopped midway into reaching the top of the stairs.

* * *

Working from home wasn't so bad for Misaki because she had gotten quite used to it for the past couple of weeks. However , not being able to focus was something she wasn't familiar with.

Her eyes kept drifting back to the contract placed on the dining table , thoroughly read more than once with the blank for her signature still not filled.

Taking decisions in such haste wasn't Misaki's way of tackling problems at all. Yes , her parents pestering her had really driven her to the edge of her usual composed self but that didn't mean she would get headfirst into something as reckless as this.

Question being , was she even doing the right thing?

She could probably put her foot down and give her parents a piece of her mind and if they still didn't budge she would just not show up for all the blind dates they would set her up on. But that won't solve her problem entirely.

What answer would she give to the paparazzi? In a way , Takumi Walker and her weren't even obliged to answer anybody's questions but ...in every possible way she might have to. After all , she was the one in the waitress uniform. Not him.

"This is so frustrating!" Pulling at her hair and tossing her pen down on the table , the ravenette proceeded to pinch the bridge of her nose in irritation. The very core of her problems were her parents. Always.

As a kid , their expectations from Misaki had always been at the highest of peaks and she did everything they ever wanted , solely to never let them down. Perfect in academics , sports and co-curricular. Etiquettes and behavior. Manners and demeanour. She never let them down. And if that wasn't enough they wanted her to settle down just when she had achieved all she - correction , they could have ever wanted from her. Hell , she had never lived her life the way she wanted. Ever. She had never been on a date. She had never hung out with her friends. She barely ever went to the movies. The only holidays she ever took were the ones her parents took her on. Her luck with trips was so bad that the only school trip her parents had agreed to let her go on was the one before which she came down with the flu.

All in all , Misaki never really had experienced life. She knew how to interact with the proper high status social circles , she could be charming and witty when needed but apart from Sakura (who she had met at a Charity Gala) , she didn't really have anybody she could call friends. Everyone was either in the category of acquaintance or colleague.

She was always careful with every decision she made. Every sentence she spoke and every move of hers. Too careful in fact. Hiding away while working at 'The Wine' was the first time she had defied her parents and acted rebellious. Something she was never taught to do. Then again , rebellion could never be instilled. It was only a strong feeling of opposition.

The fact that her parents had not contacted her yet made her wary. There was no way they would have missed the news and she knew that they would have a lot more to say than just give her an earful. Just pondering over it and thinking of the gazillion ways her parents would remind her what a shameful act she had pulled off was giving her a migraine. No wonder she had moved out as soon as she graduated.

Getting up from where she had been sitting on the study and trying to work , Misaki made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee for herself to get her mind off of things. Mostly to distract herself.

Someone rang the doorbell while she was adding milk to her coffee and she immediately stiffened. The press had been on her back since the day the pictures and the video leaked but coming all the way till her house was another level of cornering someone.

Buzzing into her intercom , she spoke "Who is it , Reo?"

"Takumi Walker's driver , Ma'am" Replied her bodyguard on duty outside her gate "Claims he has something for you sent over by Takumi Walker"

"Hold him where he is. I'll get back to you in a minute" Moving away from the intercom she proceeded to ring the said guy in question. On the fourth ring , he picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

"This is Ayuzawa Misaki speaking"

" _Yeah well. I do have your number saved so I know_ "

Which was true. Both of them hadn't been living in their own houses ever since the danger of the paparazzi outside their houses had intensified. While Misaki was living in one of Sakura's villas across the city , Takumi had shifted into one of Tora's penthouses as living in any of their respective properties was a threat. But they made sure the distance wasn't too far off for safety purposes. They kept in touch over the phone , updating each other but the conversation never went any further. Each time it ended the same way.

" _So…?"_

" _I'll talk to you later"_

Everytime they talked , that was how their conversation ended. Takumi never asked but the question he wanted to ask was always lingering in the air. And each time , Misaki's response showed how unsure she was about all this.

"Did you have something …" She peaked from the balcony window , keeping the curtains close "..a basket of sorts..sent over to my place?"

A pause " _Yes. If you don't want it , you can send it back_ "

"I don't even know what it is. I wanted to double check with you to make sure it's not a prank"

" _Well I assure you it's not"_

"Right. Stay on the line" She buzzed the intercom again "Get the basket in , Reo"

A minute later she was carrying a beige colored basket holding flowers on one side and chocolates on the other "What is this?" She asked , balancing the phone between her shoulder and cheek , opening one of the boxes.

" _Chocolates?_ " Takumi replied as if that was the most obvious answer on the planet " _However , if you haven't received chocolates and flowers then throw the basket out the window"_

Laughing , she assured him "Oh no. They are chocolates alright" Popping one in her mouth , she closed her eyes , savoring the flavor to its fullest "Why'd you send them over?"

" _Ever heard of a gift , Ayuzawa?_ "

"Honestly speaking , I haven't ever received one on such a personal term. I usually get gifts along with invitations to parties or balls"

" _That's surprising.."_ A pause " _I had found the chocolates in some ancient shop tucked away in the corner in a street when I went to Busan two days back"_

It was Misaki's turn to stop speaking "I thought we were supposed to stay indoors for a week?"

" _Unless absolutely necessary"_ Takumi reminded " _Besides. I didn't think the Japanese paparazzi would be crazy enough to follow me to another country just to find out about a relationship scandal"_

There was a moment's pause till Misaki decoded what Takumi had just said "So , there _were_ reporters after you?"

He laughed on the other end making the chocolate inside her stomach burn because of the fluttery feeling she was experiencing " _How else do you think I found that shop? Looking at those chocolates it reminded me of you so I bought them for you"_

"Thank you. Really. The thought counts. I'll repay it soon"

" _You'll what? Goodness. That wasn't the purpose of giving you the gift so that you'd give one back to me. Think of it as a souvenir. And while on the topic of purposes , before I forget , there is something else in the basket besides flowers and chocolates"_

"Huh?" Rummaging through the petals and wrappers , Misaki plucked out a ribbon tied to a single key "What is the key for?"

" _Our house_ "

Breath caught in her throat , Misaki clutched the key in her palm and rest it over her chest where her heart was "I am not sure about-"

She froze mid sentence as the doorbell to the house started ringing furiously and her blood ran cold.

" _Who is that?"_ Misaki heard some shuffling on his side as she was already reaching for the intercom.

"Reo? Who is it-?"

"MISAKI!" Came back her Mother's angry voice "Open the door right this instant or I am going to make your own bodyguard break it down for me!"

Suddenly she was back in her old house being reprimanded and scolded more than required for eating more cookies from the jar than what she was allowed to.

Fear for making her short tempered parents unhappy , Misaki had never crossed a line. Right now she was an entire boundary out.

" _Ayuzawa?"_ Takumi's voice made her snap out of her reverie and tune in to the doorbell almost breathing its last breath by being rung so much as she rushed towards the door to open it " _Don't hang up"_

It wasn't him she was worried about , it was herself.

Unlocking the door , she slowly pulled it open and her parents stormed in looking thunderous. Switching the phone to the other side , she tried to keep her nerves in check and regarded them as coolly as possible after she closed the door "What a surprise to see you here-"

As resounding as the thunderous look on her Mother's face , Misaki's hand flew to her cheek where she had just been slapped.

"How dare you?!" Grabbing her daughter's shoulders , Minako Ayuzawa shook her wildly "Whatever could have possessed you to pull off a stunt like this?!"

With nothing to say in her defence , she silently heard her Mother break into a heated explanation on how the news broke out when she and her Father had been partying across the World , having the time of their lives and how humiliated they were.

Realizing how her daughter stood absolutely still , her Mother cried"For the love of God , put the goddamn phone down Misaki I can't afford to get any more humiliated than I already am!"

When she made no attempt to do , Minako grabbed the phone out of her hand and checked the caller ID "You are talking to the bastard who got you in this mess?!"

"Mom!" Snatching her phone back and giving her Mother a glare she had inherited from her right back , Misaki spoke in a seething tone "If you are here to reprimand , your boundary is only me. Take it a step further and I won't tolerate it like I am doing it right now"

"So now he's taught you to defy me , huh? Tossing her clutch away , Minako moved towards Misaki like a Lion approaching its food "Then I'll have to retort to old ways to put you in check now"

Gulping , Misaki took steps back "Mom. Listen to me. Hear me out first"

"There is nothing you can do to justify yourself over what you have done"

"And what if I say Takumi Walker is my fiancè?"

* * *

 ** _Heyy everyone! I know it's been soooooo long since I updated but in my defence the workload of my last year in highschool is killing me._**

 ** _On a brighter note , here's an update!_**

 ** _Thank you so much for reading! Do review!_**

 ** _XOXOXO_**

 ** _~Tear_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

 _"It's you , because nobody else makes sense"_

* * *

"Y-Your wh-what?"

Staggering backwards , Minako Ayuzawa felt her eyes widen as she grabbed her husband for support over the shock she had gotten because of what her daughter had just said.

"I am engaged" The younger ravenette felt her knees shake uncontrollably as she quietly worded out her sentence "To Takumi Walker"

Shock gave way to hurt which gave way to rage as Minako grabbed her elder daughter by both arms and shook her making the phone slip out of her hands "When?! With whose permission?! And how dare you defy us like this?!"

"You can't control everything in my life , Mom. I'm 24 and I think I can take my decisions now"

"Not something as important as this! Not without our permission" Her Mother cried.

"Especially something as important as marriage" Misaki gritted out as amber orbs clashed with ones of their own.

Unable to take the full force of hatred her Mother was indicating toward her , Misaki tore her gaze away and looked helplessly at her Father who stood there silently , watching his wife go nearly into hysterics and very easily ignoring that the reason for it was his own daughter.

It was only a glimpse past her Father and Misaki went absolutely rigid in her Mother's arms as her eyes lay on the contract still lying on the dining table. Gulping and feeling her heart go into overdrive , Misaki took a step back and out of her Mother's hold. Right now she'd do anything to keep the attention of her parents _away_ from the dining room.

"Let's sit down" She started to speak , keeping her voice steady , something she had trained to be done till perfection "I'll explain everything"

"You've nothing to explain Misaki Ayuzawa!" Her Mother screeched , pulling on her hair "Do you have any idea have any idea who Takumi Walker is?"

"I'm afraid , yes"

"Then what made you feel like getting married to that womanizer would be the correct decision?!"

"Because we've been together for over an year now and I know who he really is. There's no reason for you to bring in past occurences"

"Over an year?! Past occurrences? He was in Las Vegas last month with the Miss United States all over him as they attended the opening ceremony of the new Casino bar the Mackenzie's had just inaugrated" After an afterthought the elder ravenette added "You were there too weren't you?"

"And if _you_ were there, you'd have noticed how Mr. Walker's eyes never left Misaki"

If time could pause , Misaki would have wept when she heard Sakura's voice in the doorway. No words could describe how thankful she was that Sakura had showed up "You _were_ there , weren't you Mrs. Ayuzawa?"

"Yes I was. But I couldn't see any of the chemistry you imply they had"

"Then again no one really did , no?" The salmon hair girl walked in and stood next to Misaki "If they had paid more attention maybe the announcement of Misaki's engagement wouldn't shock everyone so much"

"Are you implying that you knew about this, all along?" The elder ravenette had calmed down but now her voice was collected , wary and full of doubt.

"I'm afraid , no" Sakura linked her hand with Misaki's "But I trust Misaki. And she never makes the wrong decisions. And so I'll always be here for her" Misaki turned to look at her , a smile matching the one on Sakura's lips.

"As flattered as I think Misaki is after hearing that, I think you're hiding something"

"Excuse me?"

" _Mom_ " Misaki hissed , shaking her head silently warning her Mother.

"If let's say , for a moment here , that Misaki _is_ engaged to Takumi Walker-"

"-There is no 'Let's say' here, Mom. We _are_ engaged-"

"-Where is your engagement ring?"

The realization of how they had missed such a small but important detail hit the younger ravenette with the force of a convoy of trucks. Then again, she hadn't yet signed the contract so the possibility of a ring didn't arise.

"Why would she march around wearing it when there's already so much controversy going on around her?" The salmon haired girl intervened.

"I don't see a reason that would make her hide it now that they want to be out in the open about their relationship. Besides , what stopped you from wearing it at home?"

"The fact that-"

"-With all due respect Sakura " Minako turned to her daughter's friend "The question was directed towards my daughter"

Biting her bottom lip, Sakura nodded and turned to Misaki who was already being watched closely by her parents "The thing is" But Misaki wasn't the head of one of the most successful law firms for nothing , she knew her game and she played it well "Until the official announcement , we decided to keep it undisclosed , which meant not wearing the ring as well"

The older one among the two laughed "You have thought this little façade through haven't you?"

"I would love to laugh with you Mom only if it wasn't my engagement we were making fun of"

Her face turning ice cold and voice sharp , Minako looked at her daughter with narrowed eyes "Well then. C'mon , let's see the ring"

Almost having a brain freeze , Misaki turned to Sakura who beneath her calm outward look was giving Misaki a panicked look "Okay" Misaki gulped , walking toward the bedroom taking slightly longer than she would've usually.

"Oh Sakura" She turned to her friend "Your documents , the ones you were looking for , I found them in the study. They're on the dining table"

Because her back was to Misaki's parents , Sakura managed to give Misaki a confused look to which Misaki smiled and bulged her eye sockets so as to give her dense friend a distress call.

Sakura rose to the situation magnificently "Oh thank goodness you found them. I've checked every single house of mine for these and-" She snatched the papers up and put them in her handbag "- and I'm so grateful you found them"

Almost outwardly sighing with relief , Misaki nodded in her direction and walked inside the bedroom , slowly pulling the door closer to the bolt.

 _What do I do?! There is no way I can produce an engagement ring in 5 minutes! One more excuse and Mom will know this is all an act. Goddammit! I don't even have my phone!_

As Misaki was pacing the bedroom inside , Sakura was feeling equally unnerved outside. She smiled pleasantly when she made eye contact with Misaki's parents but the pressure of getting caught in a lie was beyond unsettling.

"Why don't we sit down?" Sakura offered , reaching the couch and sitting down in a frenzy.

"When did you come to know about this, Sakura?"

"The same time as you, Ayuzawa - san"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

Sakura knew there was no ring inside and that Misaki was trying to buy some time. She had to do something that would not require the ring to be presented until a later time and would also convince her parents that the engagement was after all , not fake.

Desperation gave way to perception and Sakura looked around before her eyes fell on the chocolate-flower basket "Is that a gift from Mr. Walker?" She asked in awe as she got up from the couch and walked over to inspect the basket.

"The basket on the table? Yes it's from him" Misaki called back.

Quietly enjoying the texture of the rose petals and appreciating Takumi Walker's choices , Sakura's eyes widened and she almost leaped out of happiness at the brainwave she'd just had. Calming herself down , Sakura managed a nonchalant tone as she asked "Say Misaki , are you sure you didn't leave the ring box with him when you stayed over last weekend?"

Eyebrows furrowing as she pulled the ajar door open , Misaki locked gazes with Sakura once and understood the entire plan "I think so. I can't find it and I must've not realized because I'm not even putting it on"

"Which is why" A third person intruded on the conversation from the open doorway "I'm here"

For the second time in less than an hour , Misaki felt like weeping out of relief as she saw Takumi Walker in the doorway , holding a delicate ring box in his hand.

"Glad you could join us" Minako gritted out and alarm bells set off in Misaki's head.

" _Mom"_ Misaki said sharply again as the blonde gentleman walked in , smiling at everyone.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Takumi Walker"

"We're aware" Minako replied icily.

"That I can see" Takumi agreed, strutting up to Misaki and wrapping an arm around her waist "Let me rephrase. I'm Takumi Walker, your daughter's fiancé"

"Or so we've heard" Minako bit out "Now hear me loud and clear, Mr. Walker. This marriage under no circumstances will take place and if you still wish to get married, you'll not have my blessings"

Eyes widening, Misaki gave her Mother a broken look. Maybe this was all a charade. Maybe none of this was real. But it still hurt to hear her Mother say something like that.

"Well I'm afraid, we'll have to come for your blessings after the honeymoon then"

"You-!"

"Minako" Since the time he had walked in the house, this was the first time Sakuya Ayuzawa had spoken as he held his wife back "The news of our daughter choosing to get married came as a surprise to us and it'll take time to get used to the idea. However" He turned to his daughter and spoke solemnly "I hope you know what you're getting into Misaki"

"I do"

"Very well then. We'll keep in touch through the phone until your Mother calms down and then maybe we'll stop by to visit" Picking his wife's clutch up, he guided his wife to the door "Take care" He nodded toward Misaki and then turned to the other two "All of you" With that the door shut behind them.

"I think I like your Dad a lot more than your Mom" Sakura shuddered "No offence"

"None taken" Misaki replied , staring at the closed door "I'd , infact , agree with you"

"As would I"

It was only then that Misaki remembered that Takumi Walker was standing right next to her , arm around her waist in all his handsome glory "How come you're here?" She asked , pulling away.

"I have to say , your Mother said some quite delightful things about me after which I couldn't resist meeting her"

It was after Misaki rose an eyebrow and folded her arms , Takumi rolled his eyes and admitted "Now that you had acknowledged our relationship , there was no way I'd let you take the heat of it alone"

Gulping , Misaki looked away and made a grunting sound "Yeah. Okay"

Takumi turned to Sakura with a confused expression to which the latter explained saying "She's like that when she's nervous. She needs to get used to the idea as well so till then bear with her"

Chuckling he nodded and started to leave but paused with his hand on the door handle "I'm expecting you to move in before the weekend"

"Don't order me around , Takumi Walker"

"If I don't , someone else will" He winked and laughed at her horrified expression as his phone started ringing "Here. Catch"

If she hadn't looked up in time , she wouldn't have caught the ring box in time "What?"

"Now we're official" He shrugged.

"Y-Yeah b-but-"

"-Tell me if the ring doesn't fit. We can go get it altered or buy one of your choice. See you later" With that he walked out , softly shutting the door behind him.

"Wow. Too much to handle for one day , huh?" Sakura turned to Misaki a moment later who was holding out her unoccupied hand , still staring at the door "What?"

"The contract"

"You're signing it?"

"Yes I am" She turned to Sakura who was giving her an uneasy look.

"You're sure about this?"

"If it ain't this Takumi Walker , it'll be some other Takumi Walker who'll be worse when my parents pick him for me. Atleast this one and I go our separate ways with something gained in our favor"

Sighing , the salmon haired girl took the contract out and gave it to the ravenette along with a fountain pen "Anytime you wanna get out of this , you tell me and I'll gladly tear this contract apart for you"

Chuckling as she signed her name , Misaki clutched the contract in her hand "I'll be back in a minute"

Walking out the door and into the driveway where Takumi stood in front of a matte black Porsche talking on the phone. On hearing footsteps Takumi turned around and face her. But the reason she stopped on top of the stairs wasn't him.

"Y-You have a 918 Spyder?!"

Furrowing his eyebrows and turning to look at his own car , he nodded in her direction and shrugged "Yes I do" He mouthed.

Realizing that she had been rude to interrupt when he was already talking on the phone , she mouthed back a 'Sorry' , followed by "The 2015 edition?"

In response , Takumi nodded and leaned on his car door listening intently to what the person on the other end was saying "Two electric motors , 93 mph" Misaki breathed out in awe "The matte black version was on auction starting at 4 million. Wait?! You were the one who bid a higher price than me?!"

At this point Takumi gave up and laughed "Hitori? Hitori? Pause. Email me the rest and I'll look into it" With that he hung up and nodded toward Misaki "I bought it for 6 million , yes"

"Can I buy it from you?"

"I'll be willing to exchange it for your Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio over there"

"Hells no. I'll buy the Porsche from you with interest"

"Too sad I'm only interested in your Sergio over there" Pulling the car door open the blonde gentleman smirked at the raven haired beauty , emerald orbs twinkling.

"Too bad you can't have it" Misaki shrugged , walking down the steps toward the CEO of Walker Corporations as he paused midway into getting into his car.

Sometimes Takumi forgot to look past her prim , proper and successful attorney self and was often caught by surprise when she looked so effortlessly gorgeous. She wasn't any zero figure model. She was better than that. She had all the right curves in all the right places and enough of a natural look to set her apart from models but still put her on par if not higher.

"This" She lightly hit his chest with the contract curled in her palm , still standing on the last stair making her come eye level with him "Is yours to keep now"

Slowly loosening her grip on the papers as Takumi grabbed them tightly , she pulled her hand back and climbed a step not breaking eye contact for a moment before turning around "Saturday" Misaki said before climbing the rest of the length of the steps.

Tilting his head and silently admiring her lower curves in the snug jeans , Takumi laughed and got inside the car "Saturday it is"

* * *

"So this is it?"

"Don't like it?"

"No. It's beautiful"

It was a duplex painted a light shade of grey and blue. One side of the terrace was covered in a tilted roof of glass and the other side of the terrace was occupied with the outdoor pool surrounded by firm glass walls and a glass roof. The interior of the house was entirely furnished and decorated by the designers Takumi and Misaki had appointed to suit their styles. The wooden flooring was Misaki's choice and the beige colored walls and art hanging around the room were of Takumi's choice. They had left the furniture choices to their designers.

Misaki had only seen the duplex once , from outside when Takumi had initially sent her the address of the house they would move into together. She had to admit , the place was a haven and it had turned out to be more beautiful than she expected.

The house was atop a hill on the outskirts of Tokyo but not too far for Misaki or Takumi. It overlooked the west of the said city and the living room had a panoramic view of the same as the wall had been switched with glass that also overlooked their personal lawn.

"Don't you think there's a lot of glass around here?"

"It's all bulletproof and mostly unbreakable"

"There's also a bedroom overlooking this view , no?" Misaki asked as they stood next to each other overlooking the beautiful view in the late afternoon.

"Yep. And I called dibs on it"

"That's cheating"

"I don't see how"

"I didn't even get a chance to compete for it"

"Too bad-"

"-I had a gut feeling you both would argue for it" The Igarashi Empire head interrupted.

"Because it's unfair"

"The entire duplex faces this side of Tokyo , so that means the said bedroom is in the middle. You can claim the bedroom if you _both_ are sleeping in it together"

"Excuse me?" Takumi and Misaki chorused.

"Otherwise your designers have designed the bedrooms on the adjacent sides to your liking and you can live there"

"We can just compete for it" Misaki suggested "Winner gets the Porsche"

"I don't see my benefit here. Besides , I claimed it first"

"It's because of that same reason that it'll be better if you both don't use it" Tora sighed "Oh and your projector will arrive tomorrow , Takumi"

"Oh right. Thanks. For everything"

"Thank you" Misaki added "For all your help"

"Anything for my best man" Tora put his hands in his pant pockets "And for his now fiancee"

Misaki smiled at him just as Chiyo came downstairs "Your closet is all set" She announced , happily.

"You honestly didn't have to"

"I had to. You really need more dresses to add to your wardrobe full of suits"

"Thank you so much"

"Don't mention it. We can't imagine how hard it must be for both of you"

"We brought it on ourselves" Takumi shrugged "I don't mean that in a bad way" He added when Misaki shot him a look.

"Well. Enjoy playing husband-wife for six months now. I need to get going. Got a meeting to catch in Manila"

"Thanks Tora"

"Stop thanking me so much before I claim your Porsche as repayment"

"You know I'd give it to you for free" It was when Misaki's mouth dropped open , Takumi laughed and continued "That is , if I can get her to take her eyes off of it"

The remaining two present laughed and then Tora moved swiftly toward the door "I'll get going then"

"Will you be back for-" Chiyo started.

"-No" Tora interrupted "Don't wait up for me"

With that he shut the door behind him as Misaki glanced at Chiyo's blank face that lit up and smiled at her when she caught the former staring.

 _What exactly is keeping Chiyo from interrogating any further? Doesn't she want to know what her husband is upto or who is going around with?_

 _Question is. Would he tell her?_

* * *

 _ **Heyyy everyone! I know it's been SO LONG since I updated and no I'm not making excuses when I say school has been absolute torture.**_

 _ **But here's an update! Like always I love all of you for being patient with me always!**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading! Do leave a review!**_

 _ **XOXOXO**_

 _ **~ Tear**_


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